Influencer marketing: Boost your brand with impactful partnerships

Since the dawn of marketing, brands have aligned with well-known, authoritative personalities. Familiar faces quickly make consumers feel comfortable with products or services, which is why celebrities are so often featured on commercials, billboards, or products themselves.

These days, spokespeople don't have to be multimillionaire basketball players or A-list film stars. Brands looking to grow their young, digital consumer base can instead partner with influencers—from podcast hosts to short-form video fashionistas.

Many successful brands engage in influencer marketing in some way, shape, or form. It's a helpful practice for meeting customers where they already are: watching or listening to the people who influence them on a day-to-day basis.

If you're ready to partner with relevant influencers and propel your brand to new heights, keep reading.

What is influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing is a promotional partnership between brands and digital media personalities. A singer might license her music for audio advertisements on behalf of a haircare brand, for example. A fitness podcast host might read promotional lines about a protein powder during ad breaks. Or, a makeup artist with hundreds of thousands of followers on social media might put a call to action (CTA) in a caption touting a beauty brand's new mascara.

Young consumers engage with influencers all the time, whether they're listening to comedy podcasts, scrolling through social media for decor tips, or watching music videos. Over time, they develop an affinity for and trust toward the personalities in front of them: the podcast hosts, the social media mavens, or the pop stars. Having built an authentic connection, a "halo effect" takes hold.

Why is podcast influencer marketing so important?

In Spotify's 2024 Podcast Trends Tour, Gen Zs racked up more podcast streams year-over-year than any previous generation.1 What's more, 63% of Spotify users say they trust their favorite podcast host more than their favorite social media influencer.²

The close relationship between young consumers and content creators can't be overstated. Nearly half (48%) of Gen Zs and millennials say they're more likely to be interested in ads when they're promoted by their favorite podcasters.³ Meanwhile, 45% of Millennials and Gen Zs said they're more likely to trust a brand or product if they hear about it during a podcast. Why? Because they trust the host.⁴

Overall podcast listenership has increased on Spotify in broad categories year-over-year, including 29% in the Financial category, 63% in Business & Technology, and 48% in Society & Culture.⁵ Further, Gen Zs are using podcasts to engage with major events (like a global pop star's new album drop), health and fitness trends, and to connect with content across the globe.

Not only that, but Gen Zs are also 18% more likely to watch video podcasts.⁶ This means the opportunities for influencer marketing on media formats like podcasts are as endless as they are important for brand awareness.

Influencer marketing on Spotify

Spotify can be an excellent platform for trying influencer marketing out for size. Almost half of creators view Spotify as their "home" platform, and over half (52%) feel they can be their authentic selves on Spotify as opposed to on social media.⁷

Spotify has worked with countless brands from Coca-Cola to Calvin Klein, and our podcast conversion rates perform 26% better than Spotify Ad Analytics industry benchmarks across 240 publishers.¹⁰

In addition to our standard, innovative ad-building technology, brands can use AUX, a new music consultancy for brands, and our call-to-action (CTA) cards, which make podcast ads visually interactive.

How to create an influencer marketing strategy on Spotify

Below are a few steps to get started with an influencer marketing campaign on Spotify:

1. Know your demo. Partner with influencers who serve your target audience.

2. Set the parameters of your campaign. Your marketing budget and goals will determine the type of influencer you choose. For example, a micro-influencer (up to about 100,000 followers) may garner less brand awareness and fewer conversions than a macro influencer (100,000 to 1 million followers) or a mega influencer (over 1 million followers), but they may also cost less and potentially appeal to a more concentrated, niche audience.

3. Reach out to influencers with care. Always make sure you're proposing a partnership with respect—conduct research ahead of time, maintain professionalism during the engagement, and set expectations upfront.

4. Manage relationships. Keep influencers in your orbit informed about your brand, show appreciation, and keep up communication—whether promotions are fully active or not.

To create and disseminate influencer-focused ads, Spotify offers exclusive tools, including the Spotify Audience Network (SPAN), which allows brands to fine-tune their target audience no matter the desired demographic, location, or interests.

Influencer ads: Examples on Spotify

Spotify has many examples of influencer marketing with exceptional results. Below are just a couple.